Westslope Creative Studios Inc.

Work-Life Balance

Updated: Oct 16, 2019

“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” -Dolly Parton

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself if you are happy with your life? Are you happy with your job that you have chosen? If you answered no to any of the two questions it's time for a reboot. Below are a few questions, and some examples of answers. Be honest with yourself. You deserve happiness!

What are your three favorite things about your life?

1) My family, I love my husband and kids, I have amazing parents and siblings too!

2) Coffee and music in the morning.

3) I love to travel! I love to visit friends old and new, as well as family.

What are your three favorite things about your job?

1) My boss!

2) Flexibility, has been a huge perk with my kids crazy daily schedules.

3) Knowing that I can help grow our company to be bigger, and knowing that I

can grow with the company is a peaceful feeling.

Now it’s time to delve a little deeper, answer the two questions below, and again be true to yourself.

What are three things you don’t like about your life?

1) I have no personal time to myself.

2) My husband and I rarely get two hours to ourselves, to just eat and talk.

3) My house...It’s a huge chore, and it needs quite a bit of work done.

What are three things you don’t like about your job?

1) Communication was lacking with management.

2) No flexibility when it came to my children's activities, and school functions.

3) People gossip about me when I didn’t realize there was a problem

amongst us. I’m not into drama at all.

So you have answered the questions honestly to yourself, do your positives outweigh your negatives? Or is it the opposite? If in your life the things that make you happy outweigh the negatives, I think it’s working. You might fight and not get that two hours with you spouse, but you still have your family together, and that is worth sticking around for. Now, if the fighting turns abusive, then get out of the situation! No one has time for that, because we as people deserve happiness, and to be treated with respect. In the end, the house will get clean, your personal time will come.

And the same with your job, do your positives outweigh the negatives? Maybe you love your boss and a bunch of your coworkers except one of them, but is it really worth leaving if just you and one other coworker don’t see eye to eye on topics or how things should get done? No it’s not, because you can compromise, you choose your happiness. Now, if it gets out of hand, and after speaking with management about your concerns, you are still uncomfortable and management hasn’t done anything, then maybe it’s time to go look for something that is worth your time and energy. Find the career you want, and your happiness will come. From fast food, to graphic design, to medical professions, the opportunities are endless. Find a job that has good benefits, whether it is flexible hours with children's activity schedules, amazing medical coverage, vacation time, or even if it's a free meal or movie. You also deserve to be rewarded in your job as well, you don’t need to work 60+ hours a week and not have any benefits. That's highway robbery! Hard work will pay off, but your attitude will be a huge game changer. It can make or break you in life and work. We all have to make sacrifices, but we should not have to sacrifice our happiness.

So in the end, find what you love about your life and what you love about your job, and find what you don’t like about your life and job, and make some choices, whether they are easy or tough. It’s up to you to make your destiny. In the end you need to be happy, and know that you are living for you. For example, I am a mom and for a long time I was living for my kids and doing everything for them, but I woke up one day and said, “You know what? I deserve happiness too. I deserve to spoil myself too.” I still do as much as I can for my kids and my husband because I love them more than anything, but it’s ok to take care of yourself! Take yourself alone to the grocery store, get a coffee, go to the spa, go get your hair done or take yourself shopping. Love yourself, and loving everyone else will come easier. Appreciate yourself, get that job you want! You have to live for you, and love yourself in the process.